Michelle Major - A Brevia Beginning

“You should,” Julia agreed.

Lexi sighed. “If I could take it all back, I would. I know it was wrong. But helping you cost my father a lot. I thought he’d understand and forgive me.”

“He still might.”

“I don’t know if I want him to. At least not on his terms. I don’t want to be the same kind of attorney my dad is. I don’t even know if I still want to be a lawyer. I need time to breathe. To figure out my next move. To make a choice in life for me, not because it’s what’s expected.” She paused and took a breath. “I thought maybe you could understand that.”

Julia studied her for a few moments. “Maybe I can.”

Lexi swallowed her embarrassment and continued, “If I stay in Brevia for a few weeks, I could figure out my options. I don’t want my father to find me. I don’t think he’s going to forgive me, but I do expect him to come looking. He likes the control and he’s not going to give that up so easily.”

She patted her purse. “I have five hundred dollars in cash. I don’t want to use credit cards or anything to help him track me. Not yet.”

“You’re kind of freaking me out. Is he dangerous?”

Lexi ran her hand along the edge of a shelf of styling products. “Not physically. But I’m not strong enough yet to stand on my own. Who knows if I’ll ever be. But I want to try. I liked Brevia when I was here. I admire you, Julia. Your fierceness and determination. I know you have no reason to help me, but I’m asking you to, anyway.”

“And you couldn’t have called on your way?”

“I’m sorry,” Lexi said quickly. “I wasn’t thinking. I just got in my car and started driving. This was the only place I could think of to go. But if you—”

Julia held up a hand. “This is probably more of my typical bad judgment, but I’ll help you.”

Lexi felt her knees go weak with relief. Julia Callahan was her first, last and only hope. She knew her father well enough to know he was punishing her. That when he felt as if she’d been gone long enough to learn her lesson, he’d pull her back. In the past, Lexi would have been scrambling to find a way to return to his good graces. Something had changed in her when she’d chosen her act of rebellion. From the start, she’d known he’d find out, and she’d understood there would be hell to pay. She also believed it couldn’t be worse than the hell she called a life.

“Thank you,” she whispered with a shaky breath. “I promise I won’t be an imposition on your life. I could answer phones or sweep up hair—whatever you need.”

“A job?” Julia looked confused. “I thought you needed moral support. You’re an attorney, for Pete’s sake. Why do you want to sweep the floors of a hair salon?”

“I’m licensed in North Carolina to practice, but if I register with the state’s bar association, my father will find me. I told you, I need time.”

“I’m going to make coffee. I need the caffeine.” The stylist looked over her shoulder at Lexi. “Have you had breakfast? We keep a stash of granola bars in the break room.”

Lexi followed her to the back of the building. “A granola bar would be great. And I really will help out with anything you need.”

Julia poured grounds into the coffee filter and filled the machine with water. She turned back to Lexi, shaking her head. “We start renovations next week on the salon’s expansion. I can’t hire anyone right now.”

“I get it. I appreciate the moral support. I guess.”

“No wonder your father can manipulate you so easily. Your emotions are written all over your face. You need to work on a tough exterior if you want to do okay on your own. Fake it till you make it, right? I thought lawyers were supposed to be excellent bluffers.”

Lexi slid into one of the folding chairs at the small table. “I’m not much of a bluffer. That’s why I was usually behind the scenes. I’m good at details and digging up dirt.”

“Yes, I remember,” Julia answered drily.

“Do you know anyone who’s hiring in Brevia? Just temporarily.”

A slow smile spread across Julia’s porcelain features. “Now that you mention it, I do know about an available job. One of the waitresses at the local bar had twins last night. They came about a month early and were practically born in the back of Sam’s police cruiser.”

“Are you thinking I’d make a good nanny?”

“I wouldn’t wish that job even on you. I’m thinking you’d make a perfect cocktail waitress.”

“I don’t drink,” Lexi said quickly.

“You have to serve the drinks. Not guzzle them yourself.”

Lexi unwrapped the granola bar Julia handed to her, her empty stomach grumbling in anticipation. “I don’t like those types of places.”

“I don’t like exercise,” the other woman countered, “but I still run five days a week.”

Lexi closed her eyes for a moment. Julia’s quick wit and no-nonsense attitude were what she’d initially found so fascinating. Almost a year ago, Lexi and her father had been hired by their longtime clients Dennis and Maria Johnson to investigate Julia’s life so they could try to take custody of her young son away from her. The boy’s biological father was the Johnsons’ son, Jeff.

Lexi knew if you threw enough money at a problem, it likely went away. But Julia had kept fighting. Sure, she had her problems, but Lexi had never seen someone stand up to people with so much power. Julia might have been faking her confidence some of the time, but it had made Lexi realize she didn’t have to be her father’s puppet forever.

Even if she owed him everything, didn’t she still deserve to make choices in her own life? To live life on her terms? She had to at least try.

“Could the work last six weeks?”

“I think so. Amy is going to have her hands full, but I know she doesn’t want to lose her job. She works at night, so she’ll be able to manage around the babies once she gets back on her feet.”

“It sounds good, although I don’t have any experience as a waitress.”

“Are you a quick learner?”

Lexi swallowed. “I made it through law school at the head of my class. I’m not sure how that applies to waitressing, but it’s all I’ve got.”

Julia watched her for another moment. “Are you sure you want to do this? It would be easier to go groveling to Daddy and beg him to give you back your cushy little life.”

Lexi stood. “I want a real life.”

“I know how that feels. I’ve got a place you can stay while you’re in town. Let me text my receptionist to come in early, then we can get you settled.” Julia took out her phone and began punching the keypad. “No offense, but you could use a shower and change of clothes.”

Lexi looked down at her wrinkled pants and the stain of coffee on her collared button-down. “I stayed at a cheap motel off the interstate last night,” she admitted. “The bathroom creeped me out too much to use this morning.”

“Clearly.” Julia finished her text, then grabbed a set of keys from a hook behind the door. “Are you ready?”

“As much as I appreciate your help, I can’t possibly impose and stay at your house,” Lexi argued.

“No doubt. You can have my apartment. With everything happening so quickly, I’m still on the lease. I’ve been subletting it to Sam’s dad, but Joe and my mom got married a few weeks ago. The place is empty.”

“Two family weddings in one year. Congrats, by the way.”

Julia smiled. “Thanks. It’s been a whirlwind but I’m happy.”

“Your relationship with Sam really started as a fake arrangement to help with the custody case?”

“It did, but then it became so much more.”

Lexi thought for a moment, then said, “I guess you could say that I’m partially responsible. Without the custody fight, who knows if or when you two would have gotten around to figuring out you’re perfect for each other.”